The Dunkelsteinerwald is a hill country south of the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

in the

Mostviertel ''Mostviertel'' (; English: Most (wine), Most'' Quarter') is the southwestern quarter of the four quarters of Lower Austria (the northeast state of the 9 states in Austria). It is bordered on the north by the Danube and to the south and west ...

region of

Lower Austria Lower Austria ( , , abbreviated LA or NÖ) is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Major cities are Amstetten, Lower Austria, Amstetten, Krems an der Donau, Wiener Neustadt and Sankt Pölten, which ...

. It is located at the shore of the Danube between

Melk Melk (; older spelling: ) is a city in the Austrian state of Lower Austria, next to the Wachau valley along the Danube. Melk has a population of 5,257 (as of 2012). It is best known as the site of a massive baroque Benedictine monastery named ...

and Mautern, south of Krems. The principal towns of the region are Bergern im Dunkelsteinerwald, Langegg with a pilgrimage church, Wöbling, Karlstetten, Neidling, Hafnerbach, Gansbach, Gerolding, Mauer bei Melk, Dunkelsteinerwald, Haunoldstein and Schönbühel-Aggsbach. Geologically, the Dunkelsteinerwald hills are foothills of the

Waldviertel The ''Waldviertel'' (; ; Central Bavarian: ; ) is the northwestern region of the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is bounded to the south by the river Danube, to the southwest by Upper Austria, to the northwest and to the north by the Czech ...

, an upland in the northwest of

north of the Danube river and thus belonging to the

Bohemian Massif The Bohemian Massif ( or ''Český masiv'', or ''Böhmisches Massiv'') is a geomorphological province in Central Europe. It is a large massif stretching over most of the Czech Republic, eastern Germany, southern Poland and northern Austria. Th ...

. The landscape reaches elevations up to 700m above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

and is shaped by

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...

and

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

. Dunkelsteinerwald's climate is rougher clear than that of adjacent

Wachau The Wachau () is an Austrian valley formed by the Danube River. It is one of the most prominent tourism in Austria, tourist destinations of Lower Austria, located between the towns of Melk and Krems an der Donau, Krems that attracts epicureans ...

. Trade and industry are present only to a small extent. Thus, many inhabitants commute to the district capitals of Krems, St. Pölten and

Notable sights

* Burgruine Hohenegg castle Mauer Kirche 01.jpg, Church Mauer bei Melk Mauer - Kirche, Schnitzaltar.JPG, Carving altar Altardetail 01 carving altar.jpg, part of Carving altar Mauer-maria-schnitzaltar.jpg Kreuzgruppe mauer.jpg Sakramentshaus 001.jpg, Sakramenthäuschen Roemerbruecke-002.jpg, Roman bridge near Lanzing Roemerbruecke-001.jpg, Roman bridge Roemerbruecke-003.jpg, Roman bridge

References

External links

Region Dunkelsteinerwald - official website of ARGE Dunkelsteinerwald

"Dunkelsteinerwald.net" - History and stories of the Dunkelsteinerwald Region (in german language)
{{Authority control Geography of Lower Austria Bohemian Massif